In The Nick Of Time
by JoaniexJony
Summary: Sheppard goes wandering about Atlantis and finds something interesting. Of course, it doesn't take long before he gets into trouble. Shep whump! Set in Season 5 with all the usual gang, but Carson is the main doc.
1. Chapter 1

Sheppard goes wandering about Atlantis and finds something interesting. Of course John can't go anywhere without getting into trouble…Shep whump! Set in Season 5 with all the usual players, but as usual Carson is my main doc.

Disclaimer: SGA isn't mine. If it was it would never have been cancelled.

Warnings: None really. Just a few cuss words.

This is dedicated to the Queen of Whump – **shepsgirl 72**. I hope you have a fantastic birthday hon, and I want to say a huge thanks for all the help and support you've given me over the years, especially when I first started out. If I become half the writer you are, I'll consider myself lucky!

And many thanks to my good pal and fellow whumper **Sterenyk Strey** for doing the beta. She also gave me the title when my brain froze - you're a star pet! Any mistakes are mine.

**In The Nick Of Time.**

The niggling headache started before he went to bed. John shrugged it off. Put it down to too much coffee and too little time to finish the staff evaluations. A restless night followed. When he awoke with the covers tangled around his legs, the gritty throat and stuffy nose told him what he didn't want to hear. He was sick.

For a few moments he just lay there, but no amount of positive thinking could hide the fact he felt lousy. His head was pounding, his chest felt tight, and his blocked sinuses were so sore it felt like Ronon had punched him in the face.

Sluggish, he kicked away his loose restraints and hauled himself out of bed. The room started spinning before his feet even hit the floor. John dragged a hand through his hair and winced. _Great. _Even his scalp hurt. It was only six in the morning and already he was exhausted. This was going to be a very long day…

Once the dizziness passed, John dragged off his tee and boxers then shuffled into the shower. Normally the hot stinging spray was enough to shake off the last of the cobwebs. Today he just shivered under the warm water, only staying long enough to wash the sweat covering his body.

It was only a cold, probably the same virus that had floored most of the base. The infirmary was already full to bursting so he decided to give Carson a break. He wasn't that hungry, but figured he should make an appearance in the mess hall for breakfast. Afterwards, he would use the unfinished paperwork as an excuse to stay out of circulation. Woolsey was at the SGC, so thankfully there were no meetings scheduled. A call to Lorne would get the rest of the mundane chores off his back and allow him to hole up in his room. The plan hatched, John felt himself start to relax. He'd smuggled in a stash of Tylenol the last time he'd gone stateside. Emergencies aside, he would lay low and suffer in private until the worst had passed, hopefully in a couple of days.

To keep up appearances he donned his BDU as usual. Besides, it was black. Good camouflage for the sweat already trickling down his chest making him hot and sticky. It had been quite a while since he'd felt this shitty, and he was tempted to call Teyla and ask for some of her herbal tea. He immediately dismissed the thought. John didn't want anyone fussing. He hated that. Almost as much as he hated getting ill.

A thump on the door made him cringe. Damn, he'd forgotten to cancel his morning run with Ronon. John fastened the last button of his shirt and put on his game face. "Come in, Ronon."

Ronon stepped into the room, and after raking his eyes up and down, he raised an eyebrow. "You look like crap."

"Gee…_thanks_, buddy. It's nice to see you too."

John's deflection didn't work as the Satedan was still staring at him. He was trying to think of another witty comment but a sudden coughing jag gave him away. When he finally got back enough breath to speak, his cracked, raspy voice blew any possible attempt at deception. It was time for a little damage control. "It's just the cold. I've already got pills." He shook the packet. "A couple of days taking it easy in my quarters, and I'll be fine."

Ronon folded his arms. "You're coming with me to see Beckett."

"Honestly…I'm good. I really don't need -" When the Satedan started coming towards him John rolled his eyes and put up his hands in defeat. "Fine…but I'm just going to be wasting Carson's time."

ooooOoooo

Carson waited for the thermometer to beep. "It's 100.9." He then rubbed the stethoscope on his white coat before placing it on the colonel's chest. Despite his efforts it was still cold and Sheppard shivered. After a few moments he removed it and started sounding his back. "Aye…you're a wee bit congested too. I'll need to carry out some tests, but it looks like you've caught this bloody flu that's doing the rounds."

The doctor made a note on his chart and looked at his latest, but most frequent patient. Despite the belligerent expression looking back at him, he sympathised with the man. Sheppard looked like something the cat had dragged in. His normally full head of hair was clamped to his head, and his overly bright hazel eyes looked huge in his wan, pasty face. Carson wondered how badly he would have allowed his condition to deteriorate if Ronon hadn't forced him to get help. Sheppard looked mutinous, but Carson was used to his behaviour by now. His position in the base didn't faze him either. Down here he was the one in charge, and the colonel knew it.

The infirmary was mobbed. Carson was tired, dead on his feet, but he stood up straight and locked eyes with the sick man. "Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to keep you here until the results come back. If…and I mean if_,_ there is nothing of special concern I will allow you to return to your quarters. I'm guessing you would prefer that, and we can just as easily treat you there."

The sour expression vanished and John brightened. "I'd appreciate that – thanks, Carson."

"Don't thank me yet." Carson caught the attention of a passing nurse, and Marcie smiled at both men as she came over. "Marcie could you bring me an IV kit please?"

"Sure thing, Doctor."

"Is that really necessary, Carson? It's only a cold." John complained.

Carson was tempted to ask where he'd got his medical degree, but kept silent. He was tired. Sheppard was sick. Both of them were feeling crabbit. He counted to ten before he finally answered. "You're dehydrated. The fluids will make you feel a little better and hopefully help with the headache. I'm also going to prescribe some decongestant to break up the mucus in your chest. It will also make you sleepy. Don't fight it. I'll be back later once the results come through."

John flinched as the needle was slipped into the back of his hand. Carson attached the bag of saline to a stand, then checked to make sure the line was working before peeling off his gloves.

He watched his patient nestle back against the pillows and close his eyes. Carson smiled. The colonel was an awkward bugger at times, but he considered him a good friend. He was glad to be able to help.

Just as he was about to turn away the hazel eyes opened a slit. "Thanks again, Carson. And sorry for being, yah know…a pain."

Carson lips twitched, but he kept a straight face. "You were? I didn't notice, Colonel."

John chuckled. "You should get some rest yourself, Doc. You look beat."

It wasn't bad advice. Carson looked down the length of the ward. Every bed was full, but his staff had it covered. There was nothing urgent demanding his attention, so he sauntered into his office and closed the door. Someone had thoughtfully left a sandwich and a bowl of fruit on his desk. He quickly devoured both, surprised at how hungry he was. By the time he lounged back on the leather couch, he was already half asleep. Within minutes his loud rhythmic snoring could be heard in the ward.

ooooOoooo

Carson was as good as his word. The IV had helped and although John didn't feel great, it was good to be back in his quarters.

Teyla had changed his soggy sheets and fussed as he eased his aching body inside the folds of the crisp, cool bedding. A small smile crossed his face as the strong Athosian tea soothed his throat. He drifted off to the sweet strains of her beautiful voice humming.

He'd caught the flu during his first year at the academy, but John couldn't remember feeling this miserable. During the night his fever climbed and his old friend the IV came back, but thankfully Carson left him where he was. For the next few days he did nothing but sleep, and shuffle to the head when nature called. Apart from that he was only wakened by one of his team to cajole him to take some fluids, or by Carson's house calls.

On the fourth day John awoke to find the aches gone, and a growling in his stomach. He scrubbed a hand over his face, when it withdrew he saw Carson setting up a syringe and a row of phials. He saw something else too – breakfast.

Carson glanced over. "You look better today. How are you feeling?"

John didn't have to lie. "Actually...I feel pretty good." He peered over at the tray containing scrambled eggs and toast. "Is that for me?"

He pushed up into a sitting position, and Carson arranged his pillows before perching the tray on his lap. "It's only a small portion. That's how I want you to eat during the next couple of days. Little and often, just until your stomach gets back to normal."

Carson chatted while he ate. The Scot told him that the flu outbreak had all but passed. A few of the more serious cases were still in the infirmary, but even those patients would be released to their quarters in a couple of days. When he was done Carson checked his vitals, and took yet more blood. John didn't complain. He was just glad not to have been confined to the infirmary.

"Okay, Colonel, I know you're feeling better, but your body has taken a hammering from the virus. You're still weak so I need you to take it easy for a few days. By all means take short walks, but nothing strenuous. Don't even think about working out, and before you ask I'm keeping you off duty until at least the end of the week. I want to see you in the infirmary for a check-up every morning.

John nodded. He knew better than to argue. Besides, although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he still felt under par.

Carson packed up his kit and started for the door.

John called after him, and the medic turned round. "Thanks again…I owe you big time for this, Carson."

The Scot smiled. "You don't owe me a thing, John. Just give yourself time to get better."

His legs felt a little wobbly by the time he reached the mess hall, but it was good to be back in circulation. John was still full after breakfast but smiled at Teyla when she waved over. He was glad he hadn't missed them. He grabbed a cup of coffee and went to join his team.

The Athosian examined his face. "You are looking better, John, but you are still a little pale."

"Anything would be better than the way you were a couple of days ago," Rodney's expression was incredulous, as he stared at him over the mound of bacon he'd just pierced with his fork. "I can't believe you even attempted to hide you were ill. Do you know how dangerous that could have been? The flu can kill, Sheppard."

John squirmed in his chair. "I did not…I went to the infirmary."

Ronon grunted. "Only because I made you."

"They were busy…I didn't want to be a nuisance." John watched Rodney open his mouth, so continued quickly to avoid another rant. "Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks. I really appreciated you guys looking after me. It couldn't have been much fun watching me sleep."

Ronon shrugged and Teyla smiled. Rodney muttered. "By the way, Sheppard, you should speak to Carson about that drooling thing you have going on...it's gross – Ow!" Rodney rubbed his side and glared at Teyla. "What did you do that for?"

Her eyes flashed, but her voice remained controlled. "If I have to explain it, Rodney…you are not the brilliant man I believe you to be."

John suppressed a smile as the exchange continued. It was good to feel normal and able to enjoy the company of his friends again. He sipped his coffee. "So…what do you guys have planned for today?"

"Ronon is accompanying me to Sommaccet." Teyla told him. "They have had a bumper harvest of calantos. The best way I can describe them is they taste something similar to your grapes. The only difference is the color. They are bright yellow, instead of the purple and green varieties I have seen in the mess."

"Sound's good. What about you, Rodney?" John kept his tone level so as not to appear desperate. Downtime sucked when you had nothing to do. Now he was feeling better, he hoped his buddy was free to play a game of chess. War and Peace was languishing in his drawer. The classic had lost its appeal within the first year. John reckoned it was because he'd been staging his own battle of survival ever since the expedition had first walked through the 'gate. There was nothing like a dose of some unpleasant reality to take the shine off a work of fiction.

"I've need to check something in the lab, then I have just enough time to beat you at chess before the departmental meeting." Rodney mumbled, as he munched the last of his eggs.

"You go on thinking that, McKay. Just remember when I beat you, I'm still not firing on all cylinders." John forced a cough, and for extra effect rubbed his chest. He enjoyed the flash of uncertainty that flew over the scientist's face.

In one fluid movement Teyla rose to her feet. "Enjoy your game, but do not overexert yourself, John. You were quite ill, and you need to regain your strength."

"See you later, Sheppard." Ronon grabbed Rodney's muffin and took a bite out of it. He smirked at his team mate as he strolled away.

Rodney's face twisted. _"You...you..._Fine! If you want it that much you can have it...I didn't want it anyway."

Ronon was still grinning as he left the mess hall. John tried not to laugh as he patted Rodney on the back. "C'mon, buddy, I'll grab you another one on the way out."

It was always a hive of activity in McKay's lab, but as soon as they walked in John noticed the heightened tension. Even Radek's hair looked wilder than usual as he hurried over to join them. He was one of the most courteous men John had ever met, but this morning the Czech didn't even bother to say hi.

"I was just going to call you, Rodney. We have a problem. The internal sensors have gone down."

"You've got to be kidding me…" Rodney groaned and raked a hand through his hair. "Sorry, Sheppard -"

"It's okay, Rodney, you're going to be busy." John reassured him. "I'll take a rain check...I can beat you later."

He could still hear Rodney barking orders by the time he reached the elevator. John looked at the controls and wondered where to go. He was tired. His body was telling him to take a nap, but he'd already slept away most of the last few days and was fed up of feeling like an invalid. Before common sense could change his mind, he pressed the button. When the door opened, he could already smell the scent of the salty air coming from the pier. John smiled. This had been a good idea. His love affair with the sea had begun when he was only a kid. Long sunny days spent in Clearwater still brought back happy memoires. His mom had been alive then, and in those days Dave had been more like a friend than a brother. Not long after that she'd died. After that, his idyllic life had been ripped apart at the seams.

When the door opened, he was almost blown back by the strong breeze. It whipped his hair into his face, and his green tee tight against his body. It was cold but man, it felt good. John had hoped to dangle his feet over the edge and plunge them under the waves, but it wasn't to be. From the sea level he could tell the tide was on the way out. Undaunted he eased himself onto the ground, took off his sneakers and let the spray splash over his toes.

He hadn't intended coming here so his aviators were still in his quarters. John squinted as the glare of the sun blinded his vision. His eyes stung, but they didn't hurt enough to take away the simple pleasure of being out in the open.

Not prepared to leave just yet, he looked downwards at the churning waves breaking into white horses as they hit the side of Atlantis. That's when he saw it. There was a small round window he'd never noticed before. By its position John reckoned it must be on the level below. Up till now they'd been too busy dealing with the Wraith, the Genii, and all the other assorted bad guys out there, the scientists had been so busy fire fighting, they hadn't much time to search beyond the inner sanctum of the city. He was here with time on his hands. It wouldn't do any harm to take a look…

ooooOoooo

TBC

Hope you enjoyed the start, and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the great reviews, I really appreciate it!

So John has found a mysterious window. I wonder what kind of trouble he's going to get into?

**In The Nick Of Time.**

Chapter 2.

John reckoned that finding a needle in a haystack would be easier. After trying every door along the long corridor, he was exhausted. It had taken over an hour to get this far and now he was dead on his feet. If Carson found out the Scot wouldn't be pleased. John guessed this wasn't what the doc had in mind when he'd suggested a _short_ walk.

So far all of the rooms were empty. It was clear some had been labs at one point, but apart from the abandoned workbenches, there was no clue what ingenious innovations had once been discovered there. Despite the air-con flowing through the corridor he was getting hot. Damn this flu. He wiped away the sweat dripping into his eyes with the back of his hand, and tried to ignore the tightness creeping into his chest. His tired legs were another matter. He needed a time out so he slumped down, rested his head against the wall, and closed his eyes. The mysterious window must be somewhere on this level but his fuzzy brain refused to co-operate. He was stumped where it could be. John was on the point of calling it a day when he noticed something weird about the surface of the opposite wall.

He struggled to his feet and ran his hand along the metallic surface. It wasn't obvious to the passerby but when you looked closely, there was a smooth raised edge that went vertically from the floor to the ceiling. On instinct he pushed, and a partition slowly opened to reveal a secret room. John only hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

It was shrouded in darkness giving no clue to what lay beyond but gradually, like every other room he'd entered in Atlantis, the lights started to come on. Dimly at first, but when the room was completely illuminated, a smile grew on his face. There were rows of tall shelves all heaving with books, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Large ones, small ones, and everything in-between. All of them covered in a thick layer of dust.

It had to be a library. Yet as far as he was aware the Ancients had downloaded everything onto their database. Their scientists had only just scratched its surface, but he wondered how much of this material hadn't been deemed worthy of admission. Regardless, this was too good a find not to share. He touched his radio. "McKay, this is Sheppard. Bet you'd like to know what I've found."

There was static, and John remembered that reception was patchy this far away. "McKay…can you hear me?"

"Yes I can hear you…just about. Where are you? I thought you'd be in your quarters resting by now."

John ignored the comment as he shouted into the radio. "I'm on the level below the north pier."

"What? Did you say the level _below_ the pier?" Rodney didn't wait for a reply before he continued. "I didn't even know there was another level…Anyway what are you doing so far out? You're still sick. Carson is going to have a canary when he finds out you walked that far." The scientist managed to sound both irritated and worried at the same time.

"_Who's_ going to tell him? Besides, I'm fine. And guess what, I found a library." John beamed, and waited for a response.

"Excuse me. Did you say a library?"

"Yeah, and by the looks of things I'm guessing this must be an archive of some kind. You need to get down here. This place is awesome."

Rodney let out a long sigh. "I will…but I'm right in the middle of getting the sensors repaired. Unless we want to risk another undiscovered assailant roaming the base, I'm afraid it will have to wait until later."

John's smile disappeared as he swallowed his disappointment. "Sure…I'll just have a look around – maybe get myself a book. I wonder if they have a fiction section. Do you think they had crime writers?"

"I doubt it." Rodney snorted. "Their lives were so orderly they probably wouldn't even know what a crime spree was. Still, I'm guessing this could have been their recreation centre. Knowing them they wouldn't have thought it important enough to include in the database. In fact...from the smug, supercilious Ancients we've met, I'm guessing this room was sort of a guilty pleasure. That's probably why it was hidden away from the rest of the city. Have you come across a SciFi section by any chance? It might be interesting to read their take on the subject." Rodney was trying to sound offhand, but John wasn't fooled. He stifled a laugh.

"No, at least not so far. From the covers I'm looking at now I think I've just reached the children's section." John paused to pick up a book. "The pictures inside are kinda like our cartoons." He smiled. "This one reminds me of Tom and Jerry."

Rodney's voice went up an octave. "Trust you to find comic books...Seriously, Sheppard, do not...and I repeat do _not_ touch anything! Anyway, what's the point? You can't read Ancient."

"I know a few words," John huffed, indignant. "There's some text below these pictures. Even if it is a kid's book, it will help improve my vocabulary."

"_John_…you need to get out of there." Rodney warned. "The place might look harmless enough…"

"What exactly are you trying to say, Rodney…That I don't know what I'm doing? In case you've forgotten I'm military leader of this base. I think that makes me perfectly capable of looking after myself." John felt his hackles rise. Just to spite his smart ass teammate he took another book off the shelf and blew away the dust. He started to choke.

"Of course not…but hear yourself. You're still not fully recovered from the flu."

While he zoned out Rodney's voice John opened the book. It was a heavy volume bound in thick red leather, the parchment inside yellow with age. There was no clue to the content from the cover. As there were no pictures inside, he replaced it on the shelf.

"Sheppard…John…Are you okay?" Rodney called out, sounding slightly panicky.

The long walk had taken more out of him than he'd bargained for. He was pissed at still feeling under par, but Rodney didn't deserve to take the brunt of his frustration. John broke out his fugue and his mood. "Sorry, Rodney. I'm coming back up now, but you _really_ need to get down here."

Rodney sounded wistful. "I will…just as soon as I can. You know what these morons are like. If I don't keep an eye on what they're doing, we'll never get the sensors online."

John had been walking while he talked. As he moved about disturbing centuries of dust, the air became stuffy as it gathered round the lights. The room was becoming dingy, so when he saw a bright light straight ahead he was curious to see where it was coming from.

"_Whoa_…now this is really something else!"

"_Sheppard_…I thought you were leaving." Rodney muttered. "Okay, fine…I'll bite. What do you see now, a DVD section?"

"I've just walked into a room lined with pictures…scratch that, I think they're holograms. The scenery seems to be moving…A bit like 3D, but cooler." John felt his heart start to race. Every nerve in his body was tingling as he was inexplicably drawn further into the room.

"What do you think it could be – interactive gaming?" Rodney asked, sounding slightly excited.

John saw thousands of different landscapes. There were snow capped mountains with weird looking birds soaring into the sky. Oceans lapping onto sun kissed beaches where foaming white horses broke against the shore. Long rippling deserts surrounded by rugged mountains. One in particular reminded him of Afghanistan. Except the sand was more gold than yellow, and the tall, craggy rock formations were a dark burgundy color. There were also three red suns beaming down from a cloudless sky. A chill ran down his spine as he was reluctantly drawn towards it.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's a record of all the planets they've visited. There's a console in the middle that lit up when I walked into the room." John licked his lips, feeling anxious. "I know it sounds weird, but this place gives me the creeps."

"Then what are you hanging around for? Get out!" Rodney shouted down his radio.

John could hear the words but they sounded hollow, distant, as if Rodney was speaking from the end of a very long tunnel. Just like the crystalline entity he was powerless to resist being pulled towards the image that seemed to be calling him.

"Sheppard…please tell me you're getting out of there."

"I'm trying..." His feet were slipping, the rubber treads on his sneakers no match for the force that was dragging him forward. John reached out and gripped the console, but couldn't gain any purchase as his fingers slipped off the smooth, metallic surface. A low rhythmic whooshing noise filled the room. Softly at first then getting louder as he desperately tried to stop his slow, but steady progress towards the picture. Helpless to resist John grunted as his his hand was wrenched from his side and pulled towards it.

"Rodney…I don't know what the hell's going on. I'm being pulled towards one of the images."

"What have I been saying for the last...never mind. Just get out of there. Run if you have to!"

John wanted to comply, but he couldn't stop his traitorous hand making contact. A scream ripped from his throat as a sharp, fiery pain shot through his limb and consumed him whole...

ooooOoooo

John's agonized scream made his blood run cold. "Sheppard…John!"

Rodney's heart was hammering against his chest as he rushed towards the door. Radek followed in his wake. "What is it, Rodney?"

"Colonel Sheppard stumbled upon a library. I told him to walk away…but no. Colonel 'I know best' had to poke his nose in and now…I heard him scream, Radek."

"That is not good, Rodney."

"Yah think?" Rodney rolled his eyes at the Czech.

Radek merely scratched his head. "If it is indeed a library, perhaps you should take Doctor Kozlov with you. Her knowledge of the Ancient language is most impressive."

"I was thinking more along the lines of bringing Carson," Rodney snarked, "but I suppose you do have a point. Get her to join me down there…I mean would you _please_ ask her to come. And, Radek – thanks."

With the sensors down, there was no easy way of finding Sheppard. Rodney started retracing John's steps using the scant directions his friend had given him. He was panting, out of breath, when he eventually reached it. Luck was on his side for once, when he found the entrance still ajar. If it had closed over, he doubted he would have discovered it. It was a disturbing thought that he quickly pushed aside. Rodney impatiently glanced at his watch wondering if he should wait for Lorne first, but Sheppard was in trouble so he cautiously went inside.

Stunned by the sight that met him, at first he nearly forgot why he was there. It was so much more than Sheppard said it was. The database was a veritable treasure trove of knowledge, but this library had to predate it. Rodney was itching to have a proper look around, but it could wait. Today he was on a more important mission. John was lying hurt somewhere and he needed to find him.

"Have you located the Colonel yet, Dr McKay?"

Rodney jumped as Lorne appeared by this side. It never ceased to amaze him how these military types were so quiet on their feet.

"Does it look like it…" Rodney responded automatically. When he watched the expression harden on Lorne's face, he wanted to bite his tongue. He was worried, and when he was anxious he could be rude. It was a character flaw he wasn't proud of. "Sorry, Major…I didn't mean to snap. No…I haven't seen him yet, but I think we could be close. The room with the bright light Sheppard described looks to be straight ahead."

"Where is he? Where's my patient?" Carson Beckett appeared, his worried eyes darting around the room. A young woman was with him. She was petite with long, glossy dark hair tied into a pony tail hanging straight down her back. Her ice-blue eyes were scanning the library, wide with excitement.

"Welcome to the party, Carson." Rodney drawled sarcastically then turned to the woman. Her name badge declared her to be Nicky Kozlov. She barely looked a day over twenty. He was either getting old, or the new intake of expedition members were getting younger. Rodney hoped she knew her stuff.

The woman turned and gave him a cool look. Rodney was uncomfortable under her gaze and wondered if she could read his mind. "I might be young, Doctor McKay, but I am the leading authority in my field. What can I do to be of service?"

Her accent reminded him of the short red-haired villainess in one of the Bond films, but this girl was a lot cuter. He remembered Jennifer, and the color flooded to his cheeks. "Colonel Sheppard said he felt a strange sensation when he walked into the room…like he was drawn to it. What does that writing say over the entrance? Is it a warning? Or maybe it's a clue to what purpose it has?"

The young woman examined the Ancient text. "I would not call it a warning as such, and the words do not have a direct translation to English." Her brow furrowed as she hesitated for a moment. "I believe it conveys a welcome to all adventurers who wish enlightenment."

Carson's face creased with worry as he peered through the entrance. "Regardless of what it says, I need to get in there."

Lorne nodded. "I agree, but we need to take precautions. I'll go first…"

The assembled group watched the major slowly enter the room, then heard him let out a low whistle. "I think you'd all better get in here."

Rodney went to rush in, but Carson beat him to it. The Scot's face fell as he saw the shimmering image taking up the entire back wall. "Bloody hell!"

Sheppard was lying unconscious in the middle of a desert. In the cloudless blue skies overhead there wasn't just one, but three blazing red suns beating down on his body.

Lorne went over and placed his hand against it. He yelped as he was thrown across the room, hit the back wall and fell into a crumpled heap. "Gah!"

"Major!" Carson dashed over and started taking the soldiers vitals. Lorne was squirming on the floor, rubbing his head and wincing. Despite Carson's protests he was already trying to get back on his feet.

"You need to keep still, Major. Until I get you checked out, I won't know what kind of damage you've done."

"I'm fine, doc…I just got a shock. That's one kick-ass force field." He flushed, looking embarrassed. "It was a dumb move. I should have known better."

Carson didn't look happy, but as Lorne was already half way up, he helped him the rest of the way. He staggered slightly when he finally got to his feet. Carson didn't let go until he was steady. "Aye, well… you were just acting on impulse lad. I would have done the same. There isn't an open wound, but you have a nasty bump back there. I want you to get that head checked out as soon as possible."

Lorne nodded, and winced again. "Sure…as soon as we get the Colonel back."

Nicky was helping him examine the monitor. Rodney was finding it hard to stay focused when he could see his best friend lying out there, unmoving. The only other time he'd come across something like this before was the portal into the sanctuary. On that occasion John had been attacked by a beast. He'd aged six months in a matter of hours. Rodney hoped this wasn't going to be as problematic.

"What is this place, Doctor McKay?" Lorne asked coming to join them at the monitor.

Rodney shrugged. "It's some kind of portal, to where – I haven't a clue. Sheppard said there were a number of different holographic images on the wall. I'm guessing they disappeared when he touched one…probably the same one where he's in now."

Carson went up to the shimmering wall and looked at the man now getting covered by the shifting sand. "So how do we get him out? We don't know how the portal affected him when he was pulled through, but from what you told me it sounded like a painful experience. The Colonel was already severely weakened by the flu, and by the look of this climate, well…he isn't going to last long in that kind of heat."

"I'm working on it, Carson…" Rodney said through clenched teeth. Truth was he'd never seen anything like this before. He didn't have a foggy what any of the controls were. Rodney was frightened to touch anything in case it made matters worse. He couldn't even do his MALP on a stick routine because of the force field. Damn Sheppard, the man was a trouble magnet. Why did he have to be so nosey?

ooooOoooo

TBC.

Well...John is in big trouble again, just for a change! Hope you enjoyed it, and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

In The Nick Of Time

Chapter 3

He hurt all over, but it wasn't the stinging ache running through his body that bothered him most. It was the heat. As he started to come round John was aware of scorching sand sticking to his face, the rough gritty grains filling his mouth with a sour taste. His first breath tortuous, as the roasting hot air burned his lungs.

For a moment John lay there trying to figure out what had happened. One minute he'd been propelled toward an image on the wall. The next he'd been pulled into a crimson void alive with static. It had felt like every molecule had been slowly ripped apart one by one. He vaguely remembered screaming before he'd passed out. Now he didn't have a damn clue where he was. One thing was for sure, he needed to get on his feet before he got burned alive.

"_Sheppard_…Are you okay? What am I saying…of course you're not. How could you be after that? I thought…well you know what I thought."

John leaned on his elbow and gasped as the searing heat burned the exposed skin not covered by his tee. He struggled up into a sitting position and covering his eyes with a hand, looked towards where he heard the voice. "Rodney…is that you?"

"_Duh_…of course it's me."

John raked a shaking hand through his hair, sending a small sand storm falling onto the ground. "Can you see me? Because I haven't a clue where you are."

Rodney coughed nervously. "We're all here. By all I mean Carson, Lorne and Doctor Kozlov. She's trying to decipher what the symbols on the console mean. You've gone through some sort of portal…but we don't know to where. The good news is it doesn't appear to be a time dilation field. The fact we can see you in real time and are having this conversation confirms it."

"Great…I'm glad there's something _good _about this situation." John muttered under his breath.

"Rodney…I need to speak to the Colonel." John heard Carson's worried voice come over the radio. He felt like a heel. The doc had been good to him, and what had he done. He'd repaid him by ignoring his instructions. Now he was in yet another mess. It didn't really matter that it wasn't his fault. He only hoped he could get out of this inferno with nothing more than a little sunburn.

"I'm okay, Carson…just getting a bit hot. I'd really appreciate if you guys could hurry things along and get me out of here."

Carson's expression was grim as he motioned the others towards the far end of the room. When they were out of Sheppard's earshot, the Scot whispered. "Look at his skin. It's already started to burn, and he's only been out there a matter of minutes. If we don't get him out soon…he'll suffer third degree burns."

There was an uneasy silence before Nicky offered. "From what I have been able to translate so far, I believe this room is designed for the traveller to make their selection from the wall, then simply walk through the portal. Just as we do the Stargate. However…Colonel Sheppard should not have suffered any discomfort. In my opinion it would appear he was either not properly equipped for the journey, or the console malfunctioned." She turned to Rodney. "If it is a fault, will you be able to repair it, Doctor McKay?"

Rodney raised an eyebrow and stared at the scientist. She didn't flinch under his glare. "Of _course_ I can fix it. I can fix anything if you translate the writing on these controls."

Lorne and Carson exchanged an anxious look, before the Scot spoke. "Aye, I'm sure you can. But can you repair it in time?"

Meantime John forced himself onto his feet, and stumbled towards the area where the voices of his friends had come from. He waved his hand but it simply cut through the hot oppressive air. When it brushed against something firm, he felt along the unyielding surface. He couldn't see anything. Couldn't feel any indentation that would allow him access to the room beyond. Anyone watching would have thought he was doing a clumsy mime. John knew that help was just beyond his reach. He'd never been so frustrated in his life.

ooooOoooo

His head was pounding, and his eyes were aching, blinded by the glaring sunlight. This situation was really weirding him out. One minute he'd been enjoying the landscapes on the wall. Next, he was slap bang in the middle of one. John wondered why he didn't choose the idyllic looking beach, with the pale blue water lapping against the shore. Then why should his luck change now? It didn't seem to matter where he went, he always got into some kind of jam. Now he could add libraries to the ever-expanding list. The thought of that cool, clear water was making him thirsty, but he hadn't even thought to take any with him before he'd started his walk. Rodney had been right. He should have left when he had the chance.

Things had gone quiet. John missed the reassurance of the familiar voices, but hoped it meant they were on the job. His skin was already red and sore. He didn't need Carson to tell him he wouldn't last long without shelter and fluids.

Sunstroke was setting in and his aching brain was getting fuzzy. At first John thought it was an illusion when someone came riding towards him. Almost at the same time he spotted something zigzagging in the sand. Whatever it was made a wide, raised furrow as it went. It was fast, damn fast. He didn't have a weapon, and when it started coming towards him all he could do was run. John had just started to push his rubber legs forward when the rider called to him. "Don't move – keep as still as you can."

He had never been good at taking orders, especially not from strangers, but there was something in the woman's voice that made him stop. Unfortunately the warning came too late. Time seemed to stand still as a giant purple snake-like creature jumped from the sand and sunk its large fangs into his leg. He heard his friends yelling, but couldn't speak. In agony, tears steamed down his face as he tried to ignore the waves of crippling pain ripping through his limb. John pulled and punched the beast, trying to make it release its grasp, but his efforts only annoyed the creature. His breath hitched as its yellow eyes seemed to smile, before it dug its fangs in even deeper.

A whirring noise followed by a red flash sent him skidding along the sand. It felt like a stunner blast, but despite being unable to move, he was still conscious. The pain in his leg had gone. In fact he felt nothing, not even the creature that was still attached to his leg. He was a captive audience as the rider jumped off her mount and knelt by his side. Her head and most of her face were covered by a swath of dark material, but her eyes caught his attention. They were the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. The iris was a piercing shade of blue, but it wasn't their beauty he found interesting. They had a nictitating membrane. He could have been watching a lizard as they opened and closed sideways.

With the creature now stunned she detached it with practiced ease, tying its jaws together before stuffing it into a sack. Only then did she turn to him. Her hands strangely rough as she helped him drink from her canteen. "I'm sorry, but I had no choice but to stun you too - drink…"

The water was warm, but the liquid eased the dryness in his throat. "Thanks…I owe you my life, who are you?"

Suddenly her mood changed, and her expression hardened as she pulled back the water before he could take another drink. "You are one of _them_." The weird eyes darted around, searching the undulating landscape. "Where did you come from? Are you here alone?"

His strength was failing, but John gave himself a mental shake. He was trying to grasp what had just happened, but guessed he needed to choose his next words carefully. He didn't know what the Ancients had done to these people, but from her reaction they weren't exactly popular. For a moment he considered spinning her a line, but didn't think it would be a good idea to jerk her about.

"If you mean the Ancients, I'm not one of them…although I can understand the confusion. We do look alike." He started to cough, but this time there was no offer of water to relieve his raspy throat. It was over a minute before he managed to catch his breath. "I arrived here by accident." He gave her a wry smile. "Trust me when I say it wasn't my idea. And no…there is no one with me."

While the woman continued staring at him, John noticed a long jagged knife attached to a leather belt surrounding her slim waist. If she wanted to use it on him, he was powerless to stop her. He was only marginally relieved when she rose to her feet.

"As to _your_ question. Who I am is not your concern. And I did not save your life...I was merely catching dinner. If I had known who you were I would have allowed the gizarri to kill you. As it is, I should finish the job. Still, the fangs of the beast dig deep into the flesh. If the heat doesn't kill you, the blood loss will. Nevertheless I will make sure you will be unable to return to your people." The eyes that met his were filled with hate. "When they find your dead carcass, I hope it will serve as a deterrent to stay away and leave us in peace."

The numbness was fading. When she grabbed his legs and starting hauling him across the sand, he yelped. Darkness was creeping in the edge of his vision, but John clung onto consciousness. He didn't have much left in the tank, but he was all too aware if he passed out now, he might never wake up again. His agonizing journey stopped at a low outcrop of jagged rocks. He groaned when with a swish of a tail that had been hidden by her long flowing robes, she threw him on top.

He tried to fight her off when she reached for his wrist. His futile resistance ended with a resounding slap. John saw stars. By the time the red mist cleared his arms had been stretched out to either side, secured to the worn holes within the jagged rocks with long strands of light colored leather. His left leg was useless, but just like its partner it too had been tightly bound off to the side. The sand was hot, but the stone was hotter. He squirmed with discomfort as the searing heat burned his neck, and radiated through his clothes. When she lifted the canteen his hopes of some small comfort were dashed. Instead the alien poured water over his bindings. Within seconds the material started to shrink. He grimaced as it cut into his skin and pulled his limbs tighter against the unforgiving surface.

As she worked her head dress slipped exposing the scaly texture of her face. She quickly rearranged it, and a blush grew on her pale, almost translucent white flesh. John felt himself tense up. What was she? It was pretty obvious the Ancients had been here before, but why? From the way he was being treated, John was getting a very bad feeling about it. They'd created the Wraith and the replicators. What the hell had they been doing here?

"I don't know why you hate the Ancient's so much, but like I said before - we aren't the same." John tried to catch her eye.

The woman merely shrugged. "So you say…but I cannot take that risk." She gave each binding a final sharp tug before rising to her full height. John hadn't realized she was so tall. By his estimation she must be at least seven feet, probably taller. "Now I must go." She shook the sack and John was alarmed to see the creature squirming inside. "The gizarri is a vicious creature, but its meat is moist and tender. This will feed many mouths tonight."

"Don't you even want to know who you're leaving to die?"

The woman mounted her ride in one fluid movement and adjusted the reins. "No…what would be the point? But I must confess your features are…_pleasing_." There was a glint in her eyes then she was gone. He heard rather than saw her mount kicking up the sand, as she rode into the distance.

John waited until she was out of sight. "Did you guys see that?"

Rodney sounded breathless. "We saw…"

"Just hold on, lad. Rodney has identified the problem. We'll get you out of there in a jiffy."

"That's good…" John guessed that Carson was looking for more of a reply, but he was too tired to speak. The heat haze was swirling around consuming him, turning the blinding light into a cloudy grey. As the agonizing pain once more overwhelmed him, John was happy to succumb to the darkness.

ooooOoooo

"I think I know how to take the force field down." Rodney let out a relieved sigh.

Lorne patted the scientist on the back "That's great, Doctor McKay."

Carson spoke into his radio. "Do you hear that, Colonel…we're coming to get you." As he spoke the Scot strained to see the figure tied to the rock. "Colonel Sheppard…John…do you hear me, son?" Carson raked a shaking hand through his hair. His voice thick with suppressed emotion. "He's unresponsive…we need to get him out of there now."

Lorne went to stand beside Beckett. "We're ready when you are, Doctor McKay – just give the word."

Nicky raised an eyebrow as she stared at Rodney with disbelief. "If you take down the force field, the whole programme will crash. The portal will close trapping everyone behind on the planet."

"I didn't say the plan was without flaws…" Rodney squirmed in his seat, looking embarrassed "With luck we'll have a few minutes. I'm trying to find a way to improve on that. "

"I'm prepared to take the risk, but I'll understand if you don't want to come with me, Doc." Lorne said to Carson.

"I'm a doctor…and Colonel Sheppard is my friend as well as my patient. I'm not leaving him to die on that god forsaken planet. I'm coming with you, Major." Carson spoke quietly, his voice no less determined for the lack of volume.

"We can do this quicker with three."

The assembled group turned round to see Ronon standing in the doorway.

"I am part of John's team. You are not going without me." Teyla appeared by his side.

Nicky threw her hands in the air. "I do not understand you people…do you have a death wish?"

Rodney looked weary as he gave a small laugh. "There was a time when I would have said the same thing. Now…well let's just say I've learned there's more to life than science. We don't leave any of our people behind, Doctor Kozlov. Sheppard taught me that." Rodney smiled. "In fact...we take it in turns to save each others lives. Don't get me wrong we're not reckless…but I know all of us here would rather take a calculated risk than leave one of our own to die."

Nicky flushed slightly. "Very well…If you insist on doing this, I think I know how we may be able to give you a little more time."

"You do? That's _grea_…good." Rodney's excited exclamation quickly turned into a mumble. He was glad the bright young scientist had thought of something to solve the problem. He just wished he'd thought of it first.

"How long has he been out there, Carson?" Teyla asked quietly.

The Scot followed her gaze through the hologram. "Too long, lass…far too long."

"Okay…I think that's as good as we're going to get." Rodney looked up from the console. He opened his mouth to speak, but Nicky beat him to it.

"I cannot be certain, but I think you have approximately seven minutes before the portal closes." She told them.

Rodney looked at his friends with concern. "I wouldn't stay out there any longer than five...if you want to be sure of getting back in time."

"Are we all ready?" Lorne asked. He got a united nod. "Then lets do this."

ooooOoooo

When Rodney turned off the field, sand spilled into the room and they walked into a wall of searing heat.

Carson was going to tell them to cover their mouths, but the hot air caught the back of his throat. It stole his breath away before he could utter a word. It was redundant anyway. Lorne and Ronon had already run on. The Satedan was already at his friend's side. Teyla, god love her, had opted to stay with him. Carson was moving as fast as he could, but while he wasn't that out of shape he didn't have the same turn of speed as the others. Besides, where he came from a hot day didn't exceed twenty-two degrees. The temperature here was well over a hundred and counting.

He tried not to look at his watch, but guessed nearly three minutes had already passed by the time he reached the wounded man. Carson had expected Sheppard to have been released from his bonds, but although Ronon had his knife in hand, the colonel was still tied to the holes worn into the rocks.

Ronon shook back his dreads. There was frustration and anger written all over his face. His large pointed blade was gleaming in the sunlight. "If I cut him with this – I could take his hands off."

Carson nodded. He immediately recognized the problem. The material securing Sheppard to the rock was so tightly imbedded into the colonel's wrists, they wouldn't be able to cut them off without also tearing Sheppard's skin.

"What about this, Doc?" Lorne offered his penknife.

He shook his head. "Sorry, Major, if I have to cut him, I want to minimise the damage. Teyla, love…could you get me a scalpel please?" While the Athosian went into his bag, he checked Sheppard's pulse. For one horrible moment he thought they were too late, then he felt it. The small flutter was barely perceptible under his fingertips, but John was still alive.

"Will this do, Carson?" Teyla handed him the smallest scalpel from his bag.

"That's perfect, lass." He heard Rodney start gagging in the background but zoned him out. The last he needed was a distraction.

There was no way to avoid injuring Sheppard further. With time running out, he made four swift cuts. A thin trail of blood flowed from John's wrists as the bindings fell away, but at least they were only shallow wounds. Fortunately his socks had saved his ankles from injury. There was no time to carry out a proper examination of his leg, so Carson quickly wrapped a field dressing firmly round the ragged gapping wounds before he nodded to Ronon and Lorne. "He's all yours, lads."

Still unresponsive, Sheppard was like a rag doll as Ronon lifted him up. Just as the Satedan was about to put him over his shoulder, Lorne appeared at his side. The two men locked eyes. Carson was all too aware how protective Ronon was, but Lorne as Sheppard's XO was also determined to help.

"I don't want that leg dangling if we help it." Carson cut through the small battle of wills. "If you link your arms to make a 'seat', that will offer the best support."

For a moment he thought Ronon was going to object. Rodney's panicked voice made the perfect distraction.

"What's the hold up? Unless you plan on staying there, you need to get back here…oh, like _now_!"

Sheppard supported between them, the two men started back towards the room. With the force field down, it looked like someone had cut a rectangular shape out of the desert.

Without asking, Teyla picked up his kit. "We must hurry, Carson."

Sweat was running down his face, and Carson was already breathing hard before he started to run. He was relieved to see Ronon and Lorne get Sheppard into the lab, but try as he could Carson couldn't go any faster. Even laden with his kit he could tell that Teyla was slowing down to keep pace with him. "On you go, lass…I'll be okay – Watch out!"

The same type of creature that had attacked Sheppard lunged towards them. Teyla was reaching for her firearm, but Carson knew she was going to be too late. His heart skipped a beat as Ronon's blaster fired, and the creature exploded in mid air. It's pale pink entrails fell like ghoulish confetti onto the ground, some of the disgusting gunk landing on his jacket.

"We need to move." Carson was too stunned to object when Ronon lifted him over his shoulder. Much to his embarrassment his feet didn't touch the ground until they were back inside. There was a short, sharp whooshing noise and the desert disappeared leaving a blank wall in its place.

Carson hastily regained his composure and knelt down by his patient. Rodney was staring up at him, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "I can't find a pulse…"

ooooOoooo

It was perfect surfing conditions. John smiled as he grabbed his board, strode through the foaming waves and paddled out into the deep blue water.

He lost all track of time as he rode one towering wave after another. He didn't fall even once. It was only the allure of the pretty woman waving to him from the beach that made him make his way back to shore.

"You looked good out there." She smiled, her warm hazel eyes lighting up as she handed him a towel.

"Thanks." John started rubbing himself dry, for once not shivering as his wet skin was cooled by the fresh sea breeze.

When he started to dry his hair, she took it from him. He felt himself melt against her body as she massaged his scalp. "It's wonderful to see you...but why are you here, John?"

The joy of the day vanished as he turned to face her. "Don't you want me here?"

The woman sighed deeply as she lifted a delicate hand and gently touched his face. "I've missed you…more that you can ever know. But no, I don't want you here, at least not yet. It's not your time, son."

John threw the towel away and slumped onto the sand. He didn't acknowledge her presence when she sat beside him.

"I always believed you were destined for great things, John, but even I could never have imagined what you have achieved." She reached over and took his hand. "I am so proud of you. One day I hope that we will meet again but for now, you must go back. There are people who are depending on you. Some of them are those who live within the realms of the portal. They need you. You're the only one who can help them, John."

He grasped the hand tightly. "What if I don't want to go back? My life hasn't been easy, mom…What's the big deal if I want to hang around here for a while? This is a cool place, and the surfing's great. Surely no one would grudge me a time out. Besides...I'd really like to spend some time with you."

His mother smiled as she ran her hand through his hair, using her fingers to tease it into damp spikes. "This place is your vision, John, not mine. And I must leave soon. Your father is missing me. He…he was a difficult man, but I know he's proud of you. He regrets never having told you that."

John shrugged. The mention of his old man made him uncomfortable. He picked up a handful of sand and let it slip through his fingers and trickle onto the ground. "Tell him I said, 'hi'."

When she started to rise to her feet, John was on his helping her up. "I'll think about it…going back." He looked around wistfully, then back at her. "This was good…real good." John embraced her, savoring the warmth of her skin and the sweet smell of lavender. Tears sprang to his eyes. It had taken years to come to terms with her loss, and he didn't want to lose her again. Yet deep down he knew she was right. There was still work to be done. He needed to return.

She gently broke away and kissed his cheek. "Take care of yourself, son. Remember that I'm only as far away as the memories in your heart. I'll always love you."

John watched her stroll away, her footsteps not making an impression on the wet sand. Her dark hair gleaming in the sunlight as it was blown by the breeze. He didn't take his eyes from her delicate frame until she gradually disappeared from sight. The pain of loss hit just like it was yesterday. Once again he felt as vulnerable as the eight year old kid who'd stood by his mom's grave. A tear trickled down his cheek followed by another. John let them fall unhindered until there were no more left to cry. Then he closed his eyes…

ooooOoooo

Sorry...I didn't intend to post so late today. Real life seriously got in the way!

Many thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review - it really means a lot! And I would love to know what you think of this latest development - so please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**In The Nick Of Time **

Chapter 4

"Clear!" Sheppard's lifeless body bucked as the charge tore through his chest. The alarm continued to blare as the flat line remained unchanged. "_Oh, no_ you don't, laddie…I'm not going to let you die on me." Carson muttered under his breath, as he nodded to the nurse. "Again!"

The air was charged with static but the 300 joules didn't make an impression. Sheppard still wasn't breathing. There was a lump in his throat as he checked his watch. John had been down for nearly five minutes. Carson was all too aware of the short window he had to bring him back without incurring permanent brain damage. It was closing in fast. "_Fight,_ man…you can do it. We both know you've come through worse." He called out to his waiting team. "One more time, people. Increase the charge to 360."

Sheppard's chest arched, his body seemingly hanging in the air for an endless moment until he collapsed back on the ground. Carson held his breath as he watched the monitor. It beeped. It was only a blip, a small spike on the line, but it was the best looking blip he'd ever seen. John Sheppard was still alive. The Scot turned to his team with a smile. "Well done, everyone. He's back."

Carson sat back on his heels, and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. It took him a moment to realize Jennifer had touched him on the shoulder. "Why don't you take a break, Carson? I'll make sure he gets to the infirmary okay. In any case, I think you might want to get cleaned up first." At first Carson wondered what she was talking about. He followed her gaze to the sticky pink entrails that had landed on his jacket.

He didn't answer straight away. Carson couldn't drag his eyes off the man lying on the floor. John Sheppard was a mess. The skin on his face and arms were blistered, burned raw from the sun. The blood pouring from the ragged lacerations was seeping through his dressing and onto the floor. The medic in him knew the burns looked worse than they were. He would heal, hopefully without the need for skin grafts. The severe dehydration and blood loss were another matter. John had been weak before this latest misadventure. He'd brought him back, but Carson was still worried he might not have the strength to pull through. But Jennifer was right. His arms were shaking from the compressions he'd done before help had arrived. He needed a few minutes to pull himself together.

"Thanks, lass…I won't be long." Carson was about to go when he saw Lorne being escorted away by a nurse. "How is he? I feel bad about not sending him for examination sooner…but he wouldn't leave. Honestly, I couldn't blame him."

Jennifer looked over at the young major. "I can't see any sign of concussion, but I'm going to put him under the scanner just to be sure." She smiled at him. "You're a good doctor, Carson…the best. If there had been any sign that something was seriously wrong, you'd have spotted it. Then nothing Lorne would have argued would have made any difference."

Carson shrugged, "Thanks, that's good of you to say."

He glanced around. Apart from himself, Jennifer and the team gently lifting the colonel onto the gurney, Sheppard's team were gone. "Where is everyone? How's Rodney? The poor lad suffered quite a shock."

The last time he'd seen his friend the scientist had been close to tears, sitting in an abject huddle by John's body. Carson had taken over after that. He'd been so focused on bringing his patient back, he'd shut off everything else going on around him. Looking back they'd taken a risk, but John wouldn't leave anyone behind, and neither would they. Carson grimaced as he watched Marie bind John's wrists. He'd taken an oath to do no harm. Those wounds were down to him, but there hadn't been any other choice. The only thing that salved his conscious was he'd been able to minimise the damage. If Ronon had done the deed…He was glad the big guy had used his common sense.

"Carson…you okay? You zoned out on me there." Jennifer was looking at him with concern.

"I'm sorry, love. You're right, I'm tired…I need a strong cup of coffee," Carson smiled at her, "and a shower. Anyway, you were telling me about Rodney."

"Rodney was as white as a sheet. He didn't want to leave, but I told him he wasn't doing Colonel Sheppard any good by hanging around. When I pressed him further, it didn't take long to discover he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. It took some persuading, but he's up in the canteen. I asked Ronon to go with him, to make sure he went. Teyla has gone for a shower – she's covered in that stuff too." Jennifer wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I'm guessing she'll go and join them before they come and wait in the infirmary."

Carson looked around. "Where's that other wee lassie?"

Jennifer nodded. "Doctor Kozlov? She's gone to collect some of her books. She's coming back to have another look at that console."

Carson wasn't hungry, and as much as he liked Rodney and the others, he needed a little time to himself. He followed closely behind Sheppard's gurney, but took up Jennifer's offer and went to his quarters for a shower. He barely recognized the man in the mirror. His dark hair was covered in pink goo. It looked like some of that new fangled hair gel. He was a dead spit of some of the Goths that hung around the Art Gallery in Glasgow's Royal Exchange square. A smile played on his lips when he realized he was probably old enough to be their dad, maybe even their grandpa. It faded when he remembered Sheppard. Carson wasted no time in getting clean before returning to the infirmary.

Marie was doing the same for Sheppard. Carson nodded but only stayed long enough to reassure himself his friend was still alive. He was. Barely. Jennifer had already cleaned the wounds, and started him on fluids. Including a strong dose of broad spectrum antibiotics to counter whatever germs that nasty bugger had been carrying. There was also an IV pumping blood into his veins. The lass had done a good job. There was nothing more either of them could do until Sheppard was stabilised, and strong enough for surgery.

Sheppard's thigh was in shreds. There was extensive muscle damage to repair that would keep him on his feet for hours. If he wanted a break, now was the time to take it. Carson reluctantly left his friend, and headed for the office. He needed to keep his own strength up but the withered sandwich sitting on his desk was unappealing. He forced down a candy bar from his private stash. There was nothing to beat a Mars Bar.

However, the strong dark brew hit the spot, reviving him. Carson leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. When he known he'd was coming to another galaxy, he'd expected to see strange things. What he'd witnessed in the library had shocked even him. From Rodney's initial findings it seemed the Ancients had been able to visit other planets without even going through the Stargate. Why? And what had they been doing there? He wondered if they would ever find out. Maybe Sheppard had been able to learn something from the alien who'd left him to die. That raised another question. Why did she do that? What had the Ancients done that she was willing to allow an innocent man to perish? His head was buzzing trying to make sense of it all. At the end of the day he didn't care about the bloody library. He just wanted his friend to be okay.

ooooOoooo

The room looked different somehow. The bright light was gone. The only illumination provided by the ambient glow streaming in from the main body of the library. Rodney stared at the blank wall. It was hard to believe what had happened. Now the room was innocuous. Less than twelve hours ago he'd been staring into a desert watching his friend struggle to survive.

His eyes were drawn to the dark red stain that covered the floor, and he shivered. Sheppard's blood. Until today he didn't know a human being could spill so much and still live. Sure, he knew all about the percentages concerning blood volume and survival. The cold hard facts written on a page meant nothing when you witnessed a person bleeding out. Especially when that person was a friend.

His hands shook as he ran his fingers along the inert console. Just like the room its lights had immediately flickered out the minute the force field had gone down. Rodney wondered if he could get it working again. He wondered if he wanted to. The place had more questions than answers. Why was John drawn into the room in the first place? Specifically, why had he been pulled into the image? He hadn't felt the sensation John had described upon entering. None of them had. A headache was starting to bloom behind his eyes. He couldn't deal with this now. Rodney turned round to leave, and nearly walked into Doctor Kozlov.

"Doctor McKay…I did not expect to see you here tonight." She looked surprised. It was clear from the wisps of hair escaping from her ponytail, and the dark circles under her eyes, she'd been working for hours. Even tired, she still looked pretty.

"I wasn't planning to," He hadn't planned on seeing anyone, and her presence made him uncomfortable. "I _needed_… I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd take a walk. Somehow I ended up here. Anyway I could ask the same question. It's been a long day for all of us."

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I wanted to have a look around the library. Did you know it appears to run the length of the city?" Nicky suddenly looked guilty. "I'm sorry, I should have asked earlier. How is Colonel Sheppard?" She asked quietly.

Rodney coughed, but couldn't quite clear the frog in his throat. "He's just come out of surgery. Carson…Doctor Beckett managed to save his leg, but he's not out of the woods yet. Teyla is with him."

The scientist nodded. She held up a thermos. "Would you like some coffee? I make it myself." Nicky gave a small laugh. "What I should have said is that I like to experiment with mixing different types of beans. I believe this mix could be my best yet."

"Really? I love coffee…I practically live off the stuff, but don't tell Beckett that. He's always telling me to cut down." Nicky poured some into the small cup from the thermos, and handed it to him. He savored the aroma before taking a sip. He smiled. "This _is _good."

Nicky grinned. "Thank you. I will send some down to your lab."

"Er…would you mind sending it to my quarters?" Rodney flushed scarlet at the implied implication. "What I mean is this is so good, I don't want to share it with those philistines in the lab. They wouldn't know a good cup of coffee from instant."

The young woman laughed, and despite himself Rodney couldn't stop a smile growing on his face. Nicky was nice, and he'd been a condescending jerk, his precious ego dented because she'd had the _audacity_ to shown him up. The fact was she hadn't. He'd shown himself up for refusing to recognize her talent. Nicky was brilliant. She didn't quite have his intellect but Radek was right. In her field she was the best he'd come across. If it wasn't for her, it would have taken him longer to rescue Sheppard. Too long.

"Doctor Kozlov…Nicky…I should have said this before - thanks for you help today -"

He'd been going to say more, but he was saved from further embarrassment as she interrupted.

"It was my pleasure, Doctor McKay, but come. I have something I want to show you."

The young scientist made her way back into the library. Rodney followed in her wake. She hadn't given him a choice. He started to sneeze from the dust flying through the air. He could feel his sinuses clogging up already.

Nicky stopped at a bookshelf about twenty meters from the door. "Here…do you see?"

Rodney gazed at the shelves full of books. He was a physicist, and knew little about Ancient literature, but she knew that. He shook his head, puzzled. "Er…what am I supposed to be looking at?"

"This…" Nicky pointed to a large book with red leather binding. When he remained silent and shrugged, the young Russian sighed with barely concealed impatience. Someone needed to have a word with her about manners.

Rodney counted to ten before replying. "I can see it's a book…but we are in a library, Doctor. What's so special about this one?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you see all around you?"

Now Rodney was getting irritated. "Apart from all the books?"

Nicky ran her finger along the bookshelf. "Dust, Doctor McKay…_dust_. And this red book has none. Did Colonel Sheppard handle any of the books when he first arrived?"

His mind was racing. So much had happened that day Rodney was struggling to remember the conversation he had with John before the whole hellish nightmare began. He'd asked about sci-fi, and then John had said something about a kid's book. Sheppard had sneezed.

"Is this anywhere near a children's section?"

The young woman mumbled something, he presumed in her native language, as she looked about. "Yes…the titles on the adjacent section would indicate material for the young mind."

"Then to answer your question, I think it is more than possible Sheppard did handle the book. What's it about?" Rodney asked.

The color drained from her face. "I would not call this a book exactly. It appears to contain research material about a species called the Kameran."

Silently she opened a page near the back and handed it to him. Instinctively he stepped back. Nicky gave him a strange look as she grabbed hold of the volume before it fell. He ignored it, but couldn't ignore the creature staring up at him from the picture. It showed a lizard-like beast holding one of those things that had attacked John. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck and his blood ran cold. "_Nicky_…do you have the Ancient gene by any chance?"

Her face fell. "Unfortunately not. Doctor Beckett was kind enough to give me the therapy but regrettably it did not take."

"Good…that's _very_ good," Rodney stammered as he held his arms close to his side and started to back out of the library.

"I do not understand why you are mocking me, Doctor McKay." She lashed out, her accent becoming more clipped as her face turned sour. "Having the Ancient gene would have assisted me in my work."

Rodney cringed. "I'm sorry…well I'm not really…but I didn't mean it in the way you thought. Look, if you could just put that book down somewhere…_please_, and accompany me outside, I'll explain."

Her expression was mutinous as she returned the book to the shelf, but Rodney didn't care. He let out sigh of relief when they finally reached the corridor.

Nicky stood with her hand on her hips glaring at him. "I realize you are my superior, Dr McKay, but can you tell me what was so important that we couldn't discuss this inside?"

Rodney scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Yes…well. I know this is going to sound weird but I think there could be a connection between the books in the library and those with the Ancient gene."

There was a moment's silence during which Nicky's expression changed from angry to bewildered. "Are you trying to say that by touching the book, Colonel Sheppard set off the console in the lab?"

"Yes, Doctor…that's exactly what I'm saying…"

ooooOoooo

TBC.

Well now we have some of the answers!

I want to say a big thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I really appreciate it! And please, if you're still following the story let me know what you think of it so far – Joanie.


	5. Chapter 5

**In The Nick Of Time**

Chapter 5

Woolsey walked through the 'gate, handed his case to Bates with the briefest of instructions, then made his way to the infirmary.

Richard couldn't believe it. He was well aware the status quo on Atlantis could change in a heart beat. He was even getting used to expecting the unexpected. However this was pushing the boundaries. In yesterday's report from Major Lorne there had been nothing of note. Colonel Sheppard was making a good recovery from the flu, and the city was not facing any imminent danger. Wryly he contemplated the difference a day could make. Now not only was his military commander at death's door, but the cause was even more astonishing. This was the first he'd heard of a library in Atlantis.

He was nursing a headache. Granted it was his own fault - too much hospitality from the night before. But who said no to the President? In any case, he had been going to take some personal time before returning. At least that _was_ the plan.

When he'd left the SGC it had been early evening. In Atlantis, dawn was fast approaching. Already the rosy glow from the early morning light was filtering into the infirmary, but Richard wasted no time admiring its beauty, he made straight for the ICU. There was only one patient in the unit. Sheppard. The man was hidden from sight by the presence of Beckett who was quietly checking the machines around his bed. When the medic moved away, Richard could hardly believe his eyes.

Sheppard looked like a mummy that had been exhumed and left out for display. His swollen face, neck and arms were covered in ointment. His leg swathed in heavy bandages and lifted up from the rest of his body by a support. Even his wrists were covered in dressings. His chest hadn't gone unscathed either. It was red and blotchy – sunburned. Stunned, he stopped in his tracks.

"I don't know what I expected," he said quietly, "but I didn't think it would be this bad."

Carson turned round. The man looked shattered. Richard wondered if he'd slept at all during the last twenty-four hours.

"Aye…he's in quite a state, but the burns look worse than they are." Carson marked something on the chart, before hanging it on the end of the bed.

Richard came forward to stand beside him. "How is he, Carson?"

The Scot's expression became guarded. "Like I said, the burns should heal without scarring. His leg caused us a wee bit of a headache, but between us Doctor Keller and I managed to put it back together. Although, the colonel will be off his feet for a while…It's the infection that's got me most concerned. We've been loading him with the strongest antibiotics we have, but so far it's not making much of an impression. Besides tearing his leg to shreds, the nasty bugger that bit him has left quite the indelible calling card."

"And it's not something we've encountered before?" Richard asked, although as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how stupid they were. He'd read all the mission reports before arriving in Atlantis. While the 'gate teams had come up against all sorts of creatures, this was the first reptilian they'd encountered. Carson, give him his due, didn't make the obvious comment. The medic merely shook his head.

"No…not even close." He said sadly. "There were traces of saliva in the wound, so I've give a sample to the lab. The biochemists are trying to come up with something…but the Colonel is very weak. Truthfully, I don't know how much more he can take."

"He'll make it….Sheppard's strong."

The two men turned to see Ronon in the entrance. The Satedan's face was a mask of suppressed anger.

"I never said he wouldn't, Ronon." Carson countered, unfazed by the big man's attitude. "I just meant he had a fight on his hands. I'm certainly not going to give up."

"Neither will he." Ronon stormed past them both and sat on the chair by Sheppard's bed.

The tension in the small area was palpable. For a moment Richard wondered if he should do anything, then decided against it. He was still relatively new here, but would have stepped in if necessary. In any case, Carson was more than capable of handling Ronon. The Scot had known the Satedan from when he'd been a runner. Still, Richard could understand Ronon's feelings. His loyalty to Sheppard was not only steadfast but touching. It was just regrettable that his manner was some what _intimidating_. "Thank you, Carson…please keep me apprised of developments."

The Scot nodded. "I will."

Richard put a hand on his shoulder. "And, Carson…take some rest yourself. I don't want to receive the next patients report and find your name on it."

Without looking around Ronon called over. "I'm here…get some sleep, Doc."

Carson gave Richard a sly wink. "Thanks, lad…I'll be in my office catching twenty winks, if you need me."

"Carson…just the man I needed to speak to." Rodney barrelled into the room.

Carson rolled his eyes, and sighed. "Would you keep the noise down, Rodney."

Doctor McKay was so worked up, he was practically dancing on the spot. Richard appreciated the man's genius, but his impatient sometime abrasive manner was another matter. "Doctor McKay…can't whatever it is wait until later? Doctor Beckett is worn out, he needs to get some sleep," Richard coolly told the irate scientist.

McKay's face twisted as he locked eyes with him. "No…no actually it _can't_. I've discovered something about the library which if I'm right, could be a potential threat to every Ancient gene carrier on the base."

"Look, Rodney, you're tired," Carson drawled, in his rough brogue. "We're all tired. Maybe it's the lack of sleep getting to you but we were all down there, lad. Colonel Sheppard was the only one to be affected by the room."

Rodney narrowed his eyes, and drew him a look. "Tell me something I _don't_ know…I'll have nightmares for years after what I saw. But to answer your question, the only reason why we weren't affected was because Sheppard had already activated the room. If you or had have gone there first. Well let's just say it would have been one of us lying there on that bed."

"Okay…I'll bite…_sorry_ – that was inappropriate." Carson got a little flustered as he went scarlet. "Look, son…just tell me what it is you want."

"A list of scientists who don't carry the Ancient gene." Rodney pronounced with a tight smile. "If I'm right, they are the only ones who can work safely in the library."

Richard coughed, deliberately drawing attention to himself. "Tell me, Doctor McKay, if this library is so dangerous then why don't we just seal it up? We have barely scratched the surface on the database as it is. Researching that alone will keep us busy for the foreseeable future."

Rodney snorted and drew him a disparaging look. "Excuse me…are you serious? The wealth of knowledge the library contains would be invaluable. Not to mention the fact we've found another form of transportation. What happened to Sheppard was...well I don't even want to go there. But the console had malfunctioned. If we repair it, and learn how to use it properly..."Rodney's eyes dulled as he glanced at the man lying on the bed. "Look, I don't think Sheppard would want us to stop researching it because of what happened. "

"_Uhm_…very well. I will consider your request and discuss it with the IOA. In the meantime this information can wait until you both get some rest." Richard glared at the scientist through his spectacles. "As a precaution I will arrange for security to be posted outside. No one…and I repeat _no one_, Dr McKay, will be allowed access until a decision has been made on this matter."

"But…"

"No _buts_, Doctor, McKay…" Richard said, straightening up to his full height. "In case you have forgotten I am the one in charge here, and I will not risk anyone else ending up like Colonel Sheppard."

Richard turned on his heel and left a furious McKay behind him. He didn't care. Regardless of what the good doctor thought of him, it was his job to protect the scientist from himself. McKay was a genius, but not infallible. Of course, he was well aware he was only postponing the inevitable. Once the IOA got wind of the library's potential, it would be a fait accompli. He wished he'd asked for some Tylenol...

ooooOoooo

Someone was singing. John smiled. His mom used to sing to him when he was sick, but this wasn't one of the tunes she'd liked. In fact it wasn't even her voice. His smile faded when he remembered she was long gone.

"John…are you awake?"

Was he? An image of a beach flashed into his mind. Mom had been there. He recalled the sweet smell of lavender lingering on her skin as she dried his hair. Now all he could smell was disinfectant. A different kind of sand replaced the image. There had been searing heat. At one point he'd thought he was being burned alive, then came the beast from Slither and excruciating pain. An alien had started to help him, but then for some reason her attitude changed. There was something strange about her. She had the weirdest eyes…Her kindness quickly turned to persecution. Her treatment more inhuman than the creature who'd hurt him. Its attack was instinctive. She on the other hand had known exactly what she was doing.

He was still too warm, his damp clothes sticking to him, but the raging heat of before was gone. He was also still in pain. It wasn't the unbearable agony of before but he still hurt all over. A dull ache ran from his head right through his body. His left leg really hurt like a bitch. The deep pulsating throb, seemed to thump in time with the beat of his heart.

"John, it is Teyla…please open your eyes."

They were so gritty and sore that for a moment he didn't know if he could. It took more effort than he expected to drag them apart. Teyla was sitting by his bed, smiling at him. Her eyes were overly bright. Had she been crying? "It is good to see you finally awake. We have all been very worried about you. I will call Carson. He will be pleased to see you are back with us."

A small smile crossed his lips. He was home. Back in Atlantis. For a while there he thought he wasn't going to make the return journey.

"How are you feeling, Colonel? And I want the truth."

"Hot, sore…my leg hurts." John croaked and started coughing. Carson took a cup from the cabinet and put a straw to his lips. The cool water hit the spot.

Carson withdrew it after only a few sips. "Aye, I don't doubt it. Apart from nearly ripping off your leg, the nasty bugger that bit you left behind a virulent infection. It took a while to get it under control, but at least we're on top of it now. You still have a low grade fever, but a couple of days ago you had us all concerned. If this had happened anywhere else than Atlantis, you wouldn't have survived."

"If I'd been anywhere else…this wouldn't have happened, Carson." John mumbled in a wry tone. "How's the leg…will I be able to use it again?" He asked, trying not to sound as anxious as he felt.

Carson's gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll admit it gave us a few problems, but with physical therapy you should regain full mobility. You're a lucky man, Colonel. I really thought I'd lost you this time, son." Carson told him solemnly.

John's bleary eyes locked with his. "There are worse things than dying, Carson…but it appears this wasn't my time." He said wistfully. The beach where he'd met mom wouldn't be a bad place to end up. John became aware of Carson giving him a strange look. He realized how ungrateful his comment must have sounded. "I'm sorry…I didn't meant it like that. Thank's for saving my life…again."

He moaned softly as he tried to wriggle up the bed, yelping as a spike of fiery pain ripped through his leg. John gasped, struggling to catch his breath as he panted against the pain. He was vaguely aware of a mask being put on his face. It's cool sweet air flooding into his lungs and taking away the tightness in his chest.

"No more talking. Rest is what you need – lots of it."

"Rodney…Ronon…Lorne, they okay?"

John guessed his mumble must have sounded incoherent through the mask, but Carson understood. "Daft bugger…Everyone is fine, except you." The Scot shook his head, and shared a smile with Teyla. "They all want to visit, but that can wait until you're stronger."

His hands, arms and face were burning, and the pain in his leg was bringing tears to his eyes, so John didn't argue. When he felt the ice cold sensation of morphine run into his veins, he began to relax as his collective aches started to ease.

John sensed rather than saw Teyla's return to his side as he closed his eyes. Her sweet lyrical humming, gradually lulling him into a dreamless sleep.

ooooOoooo

"Are you eating that?" Rodney made a move on the chocolate pudding, but John nudged it away with his gloved hand. The burned skin had started to itch, and it was driving him crazy. He'd promised Carson he wouldn't scratch, and he didn't. Well not really, at least not while he was awake. That was why he was now the proud owner of a pair of cotton mittens.

"Leave John's lunch alone, Rodney," Teyla chided.

"Yeah…" Ronon prodded the scientist belly, "besides, I think you've had enough."

Rodney rounded on the Satedan. "Are you saying I'm fat? I'll have you know this is all muscle…at least most of it. Anyway, I'm hypoglycaemic. I need to eat."

"Not all the time." Ronon snorted, mumbling under his breath.

John gave Rodney a tight smile as he slipped a mouthful of the dessert into his mouth. He held it there for a second, before he made a show of swallowing. The expression on Rodney's face was priceless, but he felt a little mean. John decided to change the conversation onto Rodney's favorite subject. "So…have you found out any more about the library?"

"Not as much as I'd like...we are seriously behind because Woolsey stalled the research." Rodney made a face. "I tried to tell him the IOA wouldn't let a potential gold mine like that slip through their fingers. Oh…and it _was _you that set it off. Nicky…Doctor Kozlov has confirmed our theory that it is the Ancient gene that activates the portal, but her team are still working their way through the Ancient text. It would appear most of the books they've translated so far are for recreation, so it's possible they used the portal as a sort of holodeck. Except instead of fake settings, they would travel to real planets."

"_Seriously_? Like going on vacation?" John raised an eyebrow.

"However, Rodney, the one John was pulled into was far from pleasant." Teyla reminded them. John flinched. That was one incident he didn't need to be reminded of.

"Yes…well, Colonel Calamity here had to touch some research papers. From what Nicky has been able to find out," Rodney told him, "The Ancients had gone there to carry out experiments on the indigenous population. I'm guessing they were trying to find a way to destroy the Wraith."

John closed his eyes, and sighed. "No wonder that woman hated me."

"Still didn't give her the right…" Ronon grunted. A flash of anger flew across his face.

"No…it didn't." John agreed. "Personally I like to give someone a trial, before I pass sentence. I understand her reaction," His face clouded over, "but I would never have left someone out there to die. Have you found where this planet is yet?"

Rodney shrugged. "We don't know, Nicky is still tying to find out. There are millions of books down there. Matching them up with our database could take years. I'm guessing the Ancients created this portal for easy access to some of the planets with space gates. It's the only thing that makes any sense, but I won't know anything for sure until I get down there. I also want to take that console apart and find out why you where sucked in against your will, but none of the gene carriers are allowed near the place."

"I am not a scientist, Rodney, but what would be the point of that? We already have the Ring of the Ancestors." Teyla asked, puzzled.

"Maybe ease of access for the scientists carrying out research?" Rodney's said, with a cynical expression. "Like I said before, Teyla, we have more questions than answers. But on the bright side, I think I've worked out how they got in an out of the portals at their convenience. There were slim, silver colored metallic bracelets hidden in a compartment under the console. Nicky was kind enough to bring them up to the lab. It looks as if it will be simple enough device to figure out. There is a round button set into the symbol of an eye. As for how it works, I'm guessing this allows the wearer to active the portal at will. In theory, this should make getting going through the portal less haphazard, and hopefully prevent any more accidents. "

"Nicky, huh? You mention her name a lot…" John went to nudge Rodney, but winced as the action hurt his arm. Rodney's embarrassment made up for it.

"Nic…Doctor Kozlov, had been very helpful." Rodney protested, getting redder.

"Yeah…she's also cute." Ronon smirked.

"Have you managed to get them to operate, Rodney?" Teyla asked, after giving him an exasperated glare.

"I'm working on it, but so far I haven't even been able to get them to open." He stole a sideways glance at Sheppard. "I'm hoping when you get out of here your magic gene will do the trick."

"Well that's not going to be for quite a while…is it, Colonel?" Carson appeared and drew him a look.

John colored under his gaze. "I've been here for two weeks, Carson. I know I have a long spell of physical therapy in front of me, but if you let me go to my quarters, I'll just sit there, doing nothing…apart from my prescribed exercises of course." He gave him his most sincere smile.

"Just like you did last time?" Carson shook his head. "No, Colonel, I'm not taking that chance. You'll stay right where you are until that leg is fully healed."

John threw down his spoon. "Aw, c'mon…that's not going to be for weeks."

The Scot stood with his arms crossed. "You should have thought of that before you started roaming all over the city, nearly getting yourself killed."

Carson turned and winked at Teyla. She smiled and took his lead. "Doctor Beckett…If one of us promises to keep him out of mischief until he is back on active duty, would that make a difference?"

The Scot scratched his chin and went silent for a moment. "I tell you what, Colonel. I'll give it some thought. If I relent, you'll still be my guest until the end of the week. After that…we'll see."

"Thanks, Carson…and I promise -"

Carson put up his hand. "Look, lad, I don't expect you to promise anything. Like I said once before, I just want you to get well. Give yourself a chance to heal before you start putting yourself in harm's way…okay?"

"Agreed…and I am sorry." John said with remorse. "I never intended that to happen the last time."

Carson smiled as he patted his shoulder. "I know…you never do, son."

Rodney waited until Carson was out of earshot. "Okay…so when are you coming down to the lab to try out those bracelets?"

John finished the last of his pudding and put the empty container on the tray. "You heard the man, Rodney. There's plenty of time. The library has been lying hidden for thousands of years. I reckon a few more weeks aren't going to matter."

ooooOoooo

His nerves were jangling, but it wasn't the same sensation as before. John hoped nobody noticed him nervously rolling the bracelet around his wrist, or the fact he was quieter than usual. Fear was something he normally used to good effect. Today, he just felt frightened. He hated feeling this way and needed to put his demons behind him. With a nod to Ronon, the two men stepped into the library. The rows of books seemed to crowd in on him. He felt his breathing become fast and shallow, as he kept his arms close to his sides. John was about to turn around and leave, when Dr Kozlov came round the corner.

"Colonel Sheppard! It is so good to see you back on your feet."

John had only met Nicky Kozlov once before. He'd still been in the infirmary and had wanted to thank the woman who'd helped save his life. She was prettier than he'd remembered. The flush on her cheeks only served to make her blue eyes sparkle. "Hi, Doc, I just wanted…" Suddenly his mind went a blank. He couldn't think of a good reason why he should be there.

"To learn more about the Kamerans?" Nicky interrupted, "Doctor Beckett said you might come."

"He did?" Puzzled, John searched Ronon's face for answers. The big guy's looked impassive, smug even.

"Please…come over and have a seat." Nicky lead him over to a section of the library that she'd cleared and made into a small open plan office. She noticed the thin silver band slip down his wrist. "May I?" John lifted his wrist and allowed her to examine it. Her eyes lit up. "This is an impressive piece of technology, and a very sensible precaution, even if Doctor Zelenka has de-activated the console for the time being."

John didn't know what to say to that. He knew how it worked in theory, but the portal hadn't been tested yet. It just made him feel less vulnerable having it on. Nicky didn't seem to expect a reply as she immediate started rummaging in her desk.

"Ah…here it is! I still have been unable to link the planet you were on with the database, but I can tell you more about what the Ancients did there." She frowned, and her voice became clipped with suppressed anger. "How they stumbled up the Kamerans we will never know, but according to the data contained in the file the Ancestors first befriended the race with offers of help to deal with the gizarri, and to improve irrigation within their villages. Once they had their trust, they also offered medic help. Surgeries were set up, including an immunisation programme against the Resuna virus. It was a ruse. There was no such virus. Before the Kamerans realized what was happening, their biochemistry had started to change. This is a picture of what they looked like before."

Nicky showed him a picture of a tall lizard-like creature standing on two claw-like feet. It had a protruding jaw, and green scaly features. Nothing like the pale, almost human face of the woman he'd met.

"The research papers tell me that many of the population became sick and died. That was when the Ancients became complacent. They foolishly believed they had convinced the Kamerans it was the virus at fault for the changes. That they had merely tried to help, but unfortunately the vaccinations had come too late to be effective. The Ancients underestimated them. The last party who went to the planet, never returned. There were no further entries after that."

John stared at the picture and grew angry. When he had first heard about the Ancients, they were hailed as saviors...People of intellect who'd led a great race that had tried to destroy the scourge of the Pegasus Galaxy, the Wraith. Instead, the more he learned about them the less he liked. Sure, they were smart. He would even admit their technology was neat, especially the jumpers. Bottom line, they had been an arrogant, selfish people who thought it acceptable to do whatever they wanted to secure their own survival. He was sickened by what he'd just heard. It still didn't justify what that woman had done to him, but at least he now understood why she'd loathed him on sight.

"I'm guessing the Ancients have removed the planet from the database." John said quietly.

The young Russian nodded. "I think that is a distinct possibility, Colonel."

There was silence for a moment. Nicky broke it by once again as she started muttering while looking for something on her desk. She lifted up a data pad. "We still have a great deal of work to do, but have managed to identify a few books that do correspond with planets on the database. All have atmospheres suitable for human life, and according to what we've managed to find out, there doesn't appear to be any obvious dangers." She looked a little uncertain as she handed it to him. "Last time you were not prepared, and none of us knew the dangers. This time we do. Perhaps you might want to consider one of these if you want to try again?"

He looked at it for longer than he liked to admit before he reluctantly took it from her. "Thank's…My leg's still healing, but it's certainly something to think about."

John winced slightly as he got to his feet. What he'd told Nicky was only partly an excuse. His leg still stiffened up when he'd been sitting for a while, like now. It was healing well though. He'd made it down here with only the cane he'd left outside the door.

"Thank you, Doctor Kozlov…and thanks again for your part in saving my life. I owe you."

"I was more than happy to be of service, Colonel. I am just glad you are fit and well again." Nicky flushed to the roots of her glossy black hair. She really was a good looking woman. He wondered if she and Rodney did have something going. If he wasn't stepping on his friend's toes, he might make a move.

Back out in the corridor John felt himself start to relax.

"What are you going to do?" Ronon asked, pointing to the pad. John had forgotten he was holding it.

John shrugged. "Honestly…I don't know."

The Satedan patted him on the back. "You'll do the right thing. You always do."

He wasn't so sure about that. He'd screwed up so much in his life, yet some good people like Ronon, Teyla and even Rodney believed in him. John stowed the pad in his pocket. It was a big decision for another day. In the meantime it wouldn't do any harm to look. When he'd first seen the wall there had been an image with a cool beach and awesome waves. Now there would be a place worth visiting...

THE END...or is it?

Well it is for this story!

I hope you enjoyed it, and I want to say a big thank you for the wonderful reviews, and the great support you've given me. If you've followed the story to its conclusion, please let me know what you thought!

I also want to say a huge thanks to my pal and beta **Sterenyk Strey.** You did a great job as always pet.

And of course many happy returns again to the birthday girl - **shepsgirl** . I hope you enjoyed your special day hon!


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